Victor Odlum
Encyclopedia
Victor Wentworth Odlum, C.B.
, C.M.G.
, D.S.O.
(21 October 1880 – 4 April 1971) was a Canadian
journalist, soldier, and diplomat. He was a prominent member of the business and political elite of Vancouver
, British Columbia
from the 1920s until his death in 1971. He was a newspaper publisher, a Liberal MLA from 1924–1928, co-founder of the Non-Partisan Association
in 1937, temperance advocate, one of the first directors on the board of governors that oversaw the new Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
, and a Canadian ambassador. He fought in the Boer War
, the First World War and Second World War
, Ontario
, the son of Edward Odlum (1850–1935), a notable historian and supporter of the Zionist movement. (A small street in Vancouver is named after the senior Odlum). When Victor was 6, his family moved to Japan
for four years before moving to Vancouver, British Columbia in 1889.
At age 19, Odlum fought in the Boer War
with The Royal Canadian Regiment; upon his return, he became a newspaperman, serving as a reporter and then editor-in-chief of the Daily World. By the time he was 25, he was editor of the Vancouver World.
in 1914, Odlum received a commission as major of the 7th Battalion of the First Canadian Division of the Canadian Expeditionary Force
. His battalion moved into the front lines in April 1915, and only days later was subjected to the first gas attacks on the Western Front
that heralded the Second Battle of Ypres
. Odlum's brother was killed during the battle. Odlum's abilities were noted by General Arthur Currie
, and Odlum was promoted regularly, eventually attaining the rank of Brigadier General by the end of the war. He often was in the front lines with his men, personally led several attacks with pistol drawn, and was wounded three times during the war. Because he was a strict teetotaller, he insisted on non-alcoholic substitutes for his troops' traditional daily rum ration, earning him the derisive nicknames "Pea Soup Odlum" and "Old Lime Juice".
In 1917, Odlum, along with fellow officer David Watson
, helped their commanding officer Arthur Currie
avoid charges of embezzlement by loaning Currie enough money to repay a large sum he had borrowed from regimental funds before the war.
As with his rivals in the business at the time, Odlum used the paper to aggressively promote his views and advance his pet political causes, such as the temperance movement, as well as descending to sensationalist yellow journalism
to boost circulation. In 1924, his paper stirred up anti-Chinese fervour by suggesting a Chinese houseboy employed by a posh Shaughnessy neighbourhood couple had murdered a Scottish nursemaid, Janet Smith
, employed in the same household. Although the evidence instead suggested that the nursemaid had been accidentally killed by one of her employers during a domestic dispute, Odlum's paper suggested the Chinese houseboy, Wong Foon Sing, who had discovered the body, was the guilty party. Wong was subsequently kidnapped by vigilantes and tortured to elicit a confession; upon being freed, he was charged by police, but eventually released due to a total lack of evidence against him.
Odlum was virulently anti-Bolshevik
and anti-union, and shut down the Star rather than give in to his employees, who had unionized and refused to accept a pay cut. During the 1930s, he helped coordinate and train Special Constable
s hired to break a strike on Vancouver's waterfront.
After the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
was formed in 1936, Odlum served on its board of governors until the outbreak of World War II
.
in 1924, with the outbreak of World War II
in 1939, he lobbied the government for a position in the expanding Canadian army. Eventually, through the efforts of his friend Ian Mackenzie
, who was in the federal cabinet of William Lyon Mackenzie King
, Odlum was promoted over several Permanent Force
officers to the rank of Major General and command of the 2nd Canadian Infantry Division
. However, instead of preparing his forces for modern warfare, Odlum devoted much time to "extraneous matters" such as regimental brass bands and arm patches. General Alan Brooke
, the Chief of the Imperial General Staff, thought him a "political general", and was prompted to write to General Andrew McNaughton
that Odlum was "too old...too set...to adapt his ideas" for the war.
In order to remove him from command, Odlum was appointed the High Commissioner to Australia
from 1941 to 1942, and from 1942 to 1946, he was the Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary to China
. In 1947, he was appointed Canada's first Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Turkey
, where he served until 1952.
.
His son, Major Victor E.C. Odlum studied at the Royal Military College of Canada
in Kingston, Ontario
in 1923, student # 1713, and served in the Royal Canadian Engineers during the Second World War.
Order of the Bath
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
, C.M.G.
Order of St Michael and St George
The Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George is an order of chivalry founded on 28 April 1818 by George, Prince Regent, later George IV of the United Kingdom, while he was acting as Prince Regent for his father, George III....
, D.S.O.
Distinguished Service Order
The Distinguished Service Order is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other parts of the British Commonwealth and Empire, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typically in actual combat.Instituted on 6 September...
(21 October 1880 – 4 April 1971) was a Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
journalist, soldier, and diplomat. He was a prominent member of the business and political elite of Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
, British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
from the 1920s until his death in 1971. He was a newspaper publisher, a Liberal MLA from 1924–1928, co-founder of the Non-Partisan Association
Non-Partisan Association
The Non-Partisan Association is a civic-level electoral organization in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. There are, and have also been in the past, Non-Partisan Association political parties in the nearby municipalities of Burnaby, Richmond and Surrey.The NPA was established in 1937 to...
in 1937, temperance advocate, one of the first directors on the board of governors that oversaw the new Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly known as CBC and officially as CBC/Radio-Canada, is a Canadian crown corporation that serves as the national public radio and television broadcaster...
, and a Canadian ambassador. He fought in the Boer War
Second Boer War
The Second Boer War was fought from 11 October 1899 until 31 May 1902 between the British Empire and the Afrikaans-speaking Dutch settlers of two independent Boer republics, the South African Republic and the Orange Free State...
, the First World War and Second World War
Early life
Odlum was born in CobourgCobourg, Ontario
Cobourg is a town in the Canadian province of Ontario, located in Southern Ontario 95 km east of Toronto. It is the largest town in Northumberland County. Its nearest neighbour is Port Hope, to the west. It is located along Highway 401 and the former Highway 2...
, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, the son of Edward Odlum (1850–1935), a notable historian and supporter of the Zionist movement. (A small street in Vancouver is named after the senior Odlum). When Victor was 6, his family moved to Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
for four years before moving to Vancouver, British Columbia in 1889.
At age 19, Odlum fought in the Boer War
Second Boer War
The Second Boer War was fought from 11 October 1899 until 31 May 1902 between the British Empire and the Afrikaans-speaking Dutch settlers of two independent Boer republics, the South African Republic and the Orange Free State...
with The Royal Canadian Regiment; upon his return, he became a newspaperman, serving as a reporter and then editor-in-chief of the Daily World. By the time he was 25, he was editor of the Vancouver World.
First World War
With the outbreak of World War IWorld War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
in 1914, Odlum received a commission as major of the 7th Battalion of the First Canadian Division of the Canadian Expeditionary Force
Canadian Expeditionary Force
The Canadian Expeditionary Force was the designation of the field force created by Canada for service overseas in the First World War. Units of the C.E.F. were divided into field formation in France, where they were organized first into separate divisions and later joined together into a single...
. His battalion moved into the front lines in April 1915, and only days later was subjected to the first gas attacks on the Western Front
Western Front (World War I)
Following the outbreak of World War I in 1914, the German Army opened the Western Front by first invading Luxembourg and Belgium, then gaining military control of important industrial regions in France. The tide of the advance was dramatically turned with the Battle of the Marne...
that heralded the Second Battle of Ypres
Second Battle of Ypres
The Second Battle of Ypres was the first time Germany used poison gas on a large scale on the Western Front in the First World War and the first time a former colonial force pushed back a major European power on European soil, which occurred in the battle of St...
. Odlum's brother was killed during the battle. Odlum's abilities were noted by General Arthur Currie
Arthur Currie
Sir Arthur William Currie GCMG, KCB , was a Canadian general during World War I. He had the unique distinction of starting his military career on the very bottom rung as a pre-war militia gunner before rising through the ranks to become the first Canadian commander of the four divisions of the...
, and Odlum was promoted regularly, eventually attaining the rank of Brigadier General by the end of the war. He often was in the front lines with his men, personally led several attacks with pistol drawn, and was wounded three times during the war. Because he was a strict teetotaller, he insisted on non-alcoholic substitutes for his troops' traditional daily rum ration, earning him the derisive nicknames "Pea Soup Odlum" and "Old Lime Juice".
In 1917, Odlum, along with fellow officer David Watson
David Watson
David Watson may refer to:*Dave Watson , actor and playwright*David Watson , anarchist author*David Watson *David Watson , Australian Senator...
, helped their commanding officer Arthur Currie
Arthur Currie
Sir Arthur William Currie GCMG, KCB , was a Canadian general during World War I. He had the unique distinction of starting his military career on the very bottom rung as a pre-war militia gunner before rising through the ranks to become the first Canadian commander of the four divisions of the...
avoid charges of embezzlement by loaning Currie enough money to repay a large sum he had borrowed from regimental funds before the war.
Prominent citizen of Vancouver
After the war Odlum returned to Vancouver, where he became a prominent financier, founding the investment firm Odlum Brown in 1923 with Colonel Albert "Buster" Brown. He also served as a member of the Provincial Legislature from 1924–1928. At the same time, he returned to the world of journalism, becoming the owner of the Vancouver Star.As with his rivals in the business at the time, Odlum used the paper to aggressively promote his views and advance his pet political causes, such as the temperance movement, as well as descending to sensationalist yellow journalism
Yellow journalism
Yellow journalism or the yellow press is a type of journalism that presents little or no legitimate well-researched news and instead uses eye-catching headlines to sell more newspapers. Techniques may include exaggerations of news events, scandal-mongering, or sensationalism...
to boost circulation. In 1924, his paper stirred up anti-Chinese fervour by suggesting a Chinese houseboy employed by a posh Shaughnessy neighbourhood couple had murdered a Scottish nursemaid, Janet Smith
Janet Smith case
The Janet Smith case concerns the murder of 22-year-old nursemaid Janet Kennedy Smith in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada on 26 July 1924, and the ensuing suspicions of a coverup.-Background:...
, employed in the same household. Although the evidence instead suggested that the nursemaid had been accidentally killed by one of her employers during a domestic dispute, Odlum's paper suggested the Chinese houseboy, Wong Foon Sing, who had discovered the body, was the guilty party. Wong was subsequently kidnapped by vigilantes and tortured to elicit a confession; upon being freed, he was charged by police, but eventually released due to a total lack of evidence against him.
Odlum was virulently anti-Bolshevik
Bolshevik
The Bolsheviks, originally also Bolshevists , derived from bol'shinstvo, "majority") were a faction of the Marxist Russian Social Democratic Labour Party which split apart from the Menshevik faction at the Second Party Congress in 1903....
and anti-union, and shut down the Star rather than give in to his employees, who had unionized and refused to accept a pay cut. During the 1930s, he helped coordinate and train Special Constable
Special constable
A Special Constable is a law enforcement officer who is not a regular member of a police force. Some like the Royal Canadian Mounted Police carry the same law enforcement powers as regular members, but are employed in specific roles, such as explosive disposal technicians, court security, campus...
s hired to break a strike on Vancouver's waterfront.
After the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly known as CBC and officially as CBC/Radio-Canada, is a Canadian crown corporation that serves as the national public radio and television broadcaster...
was formed in 1936, Odlum served on its board of governors until the outbreak of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
Soldier turned diplomat
Although Odlum had left the Canadian Army in 1919 and had also resigned his commission in the militiaNon-Permanent Active Militia
The Non-Permanent Active Militia was the name of Canada's part-time volunteer military force from the time of Confederation to 1940. The NPAM was composed of several dozen infantry battalions and cavalry regiments...
in 1924, with the outbreak of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
in 1939, he lobbied the government for a position in the expanding Canadian army. Eventually, through the efforts of his friend Ian Mackenzie
Ian Alistair Mackenzie
Ian Alistair Mackenzie, PC was a Canadian parliamentarian.Born in Assynt, Scotland, Mackenzie entered politics by winning a seat in the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia in the 1920 BC election...
, who was in the federal cabinet of William Lyon Mackenzie King
William Lyon Mackenzie King
William Lyon Mackenzie King, PC, OM, CMG was the dominant Canadian political leader from the 1920s through the 1940s. He served as the tenth Prime Minister of Canada from December 29, 1921 to June 28, 1926; from September 25, 1926 to August 7, 1930; and from October 23, 1935 to November 15, 1948...
, Odlum was promoted over several Permanent Force
Permanent Active Militia
Permanent Active Militia was the proper name of Canada's full-time professional land forces from the 19th century to 1940 when the Canadian Army was so designated....
officers to the rank of Major General and command of the 2nd Canadian Infantry Division
2nd Canadian Infantry Division
The 2nd Canadian Infantry Division was an infantry division of the First Canadian Army, mobilized on 1 September 1939 at the outset of the Second World War. It was initially composed of volunteers within brigades established along regional lines, though a halt in recruitment in the early months of...
. However, instead of preparing his forces for modern warfare, Odlum devoted much time to "extraneous matters" such as regimental brass bands and arm patches. General Alan Brooke
Alan Brooke, 1st Viscount Alanbrooke
Field Marshal The Rt. Hon. Alan Francis Brooke, 1st Viscount Alanbrooke, KG, GCB, OM, GCVO, DSO & Bar , was a senior commander in the British Army. He was the Chief of the Imperial General Staff during the Second World War, and was promoted to Field Marshal in 1944...
, the Chief of the Imperial General Staff, thought him a "political general", and was prompted to write to General Andrew McNaughton
Andrew McNaughton
General Andrew George Latta McNaughton, CH, CB, CMG, DSO, CD, PC was a Canadian army officer, politician and diplomat.- Early life :...
that Odlum was "too old...too set...to adapt his ideas" for the war.
In order to remove him from command, Odlum was appointed the High Commissioner to Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
from 1941 to 1942, and from 1942 to 1946, he was the Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary to China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
. In 1947, he was appointed Canada's first Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
, where he served until 1952.
Personal
Odlum was a zealous reader, and in 1963, he donated his collection of 10,000 books to the library at the University of British ColumbiaUniversity of British Columbia
The University of British Columbia is a public research university. UBC’s two main campuses are situated in Vancouver and in Kelowna in the Okanagan Valley...
.
His son, Major Victor E.C. Odlum studied at the Royal Military College of Canada
Royal Military College of Canada
The Royal Military College of Canada, RMC, or RMCC , is the military academy of the Canadian Forces, and is a degree-granting university. RMC was established in 1876. RMC is the only federal institution in Canada with degree granting powers...
in Kingston, Ontario
Kingston, Ontario
Kingston, Ontario is a Canadian city located in Eastern Ontario where the St. Lawrence River flows out of Lake Ontario. Originally a First Nations settlement called "Katarowki," , growing European exploration in the 17th Century made it an important trading post...
in 1923, student # 1713, and served in the Royal Canadian Engineers during the Second World War.